Marijuana Growing Techniques

Growing marijuana is a fascinating undertaking. Not only is it a cost effective way to supply your own first class weed, it is also an amazing way to learn about how plants develop.

One of the most interesting aspects of growing marijuana is the huge range of growing techniques that are available to you. You don’t have to stick to just one either. Many marijuana growing techniques go hand in hand with each other, delivering multiple benefits.

• Sea of Green (SOG) – This is the Dutch method of creating a small ‘sea of green’ heads by using methods like topping and cropping.
• Screen of Green (SCROG) – Another Dutch method similar to the Sea of Green but using a screen over the heads. Great for compact growing.
• Topping – This is all about splitting one kola into two, two into four and so on. You can get amazing results.
• Fimming – Like topping but even more intense, get this right and you can go from one head to four!
• Low Stress Training (LST) – Using a combination of topping and then training to de-stress the plant and get the most of the light source to grow.
• Lollipopping – Create a lollipop style plant by removing foliage at the base to promote light and growth
• Super Cropping – This is not a pruning technique but more of a stress test on your plants to create bigger yields.
• Monster Cropping – A relatively new concept that works very well with SCROG and SOG concepts, you can crate all kinds of heads with this method.

At is most basic, plant manipulation is about managing the plant’s energy resources. By directing energy to the parts of the plant where it will do most good, and avoiding wasting it in functions that are unproductive to you, you can maximize the particular qualities that you are seeking from your plant. You may wish to do this to create bigger buds, or to strengthen stems and branches, or to promote more vegetative growth.

The concept is about redirecting energy to where it is needed most, as well as making best use of the light source that you are using.

It is worth noting that a marijuana plant’s growth is governed by a mechanism called phototropism. This mechanism enables the plant to orientate itself to the light source. The plant can change its shape, stretch, twist and redirect its leaves and shoots to make the best use of light. In the wild, marijuana evolved into a Christmas tree shape as this is the most efficient shape to catch the sun. The sun hits all parts of the plant as it moves across the sky. In an indoor grow room the light source is often stationary. This means the Christmas tree shape is no longer necessarily the optimum shape to make the best use of the light. With a stationary light source we can maximize output by presenting as much of the plant directly to the light as possible.

For most people, using different growing techniques will mean aiming to get the biggest yield possible from the space available. Most of our readers operate small grows in restricted spaces. Having invested heavily in equipment and seeds it is only natural that you wish to get the best returns possible on your investment.

Whereas in the old days growers just wanted to know how many full sized plants they could fit in their space, the modern grower, with all the techniques at his/her disposal, has a variety of options as to how to make their space the most productive.

The rationale behind selecting the right technique or mix of techniques, for your requirements can include:

• Desired Strain
• You may wish to grow a certain strain that lends itself well to a particular technique. For example leggy sativas with heavy lateral branching are perfect for SCROG systems.
• Space Restrictions
• The amount of space you have available can help dictate the methods used. For example, if you are limited by vertical space then a SOG system or some topping may be the best solution.
• Plant Count
• If you are restricted to the actual number of plants you can grow then it makes sense to grow big plants with long veg periods and lots of buds. LST or Monster Cropping can help you to grow truly massive individual plants.
• Yield
• Whether they are commercial growers, or just people who like to have lots of weed, some growers like to get the biggest yields in the shortest amount of time. SOG systems, combined with a good cloning set up, is one of the best ways to achieve this.
• Stealth
• Growers who appreciate discretion might like to keep their plants small, especially when growing outdoors. Topping and LST techniques can help keep plant size down.
• Fun
• Of course, it’s not all about production. Growing weed is a fun thing to do. Most growers love trying out new ideas and new systems just to see how they work. All growing techniques help you to learn more about the amazing marijuana plant. Go on, try something different.

Using a variety of growing and training techniques enables you to achieve a better understanding of this amazing plant.